20th January, 2014
Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government is to deploy additional 1,000 Close Circuit Television security cameras, CCTV, to beef up crime monitoring across the state.
The cameras are to complement the existing 1,200 security cameras already deployed in strategic places across Lagos.
Governor Babatunde Fashola disclosed this on Monday at the Public Security System Demonstration of the use of the 1,200 security cameras already deployed to the state by the Federal Government at the Command and Control Centre in Alausa, Lagos, Western Nigeria.
He said that the government was planning to expand existing camera and telephony infrastructure to support deployment of the additional cameras as well as deployment of cameras to effectively cover the entire state to make it safe and secure.
The governor was optimistic that with all these security equipments being put in place, there would be no hiding place for criminals in the state anymore.
Fashola noted that since 2008, his administration had demonstrated its resolve to do something about the poor security situation in the state, explaining that the state was now in a position where it had one camera to cover about 10 square kilometers, noting that there is still room for improvement.
The governor emphasized that despite these equipment, there is no assurance that there would not be crime in the state as even in well developed countries, there were still crime, stressing that “what is important is that with these equipment, it made the job of identification easier.”
He emphasized that providing security is the primary assignment of government and that government would not shirk from its responsibility
Commissioner for Science and Technology, Adebiyi Mabadeje stated that the government had concluded plans to purchase 10, 000 additional handsets for use by the police, RRS, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, ambulance, fire service, among others.
According to him, security equipment already deployed to the state include 1,000 plus surveillance cameras, 66 base-stations on CDMA technology, microwave links, normal telephony capacity, network with 3G data capabilities, existing camera while telephony infrastructure has the capacity to carry 100,000 subscribers.
Mabadeje said that the cameras had been deployed in critical locations, such as Ikorodu Road, Oshodi, Agege Motor Road, Festac, among others, adding that 2,000 handsets had been deployed to members of the police and Rapid Response Squad, RRS.
The commissioner also said video conferencing had been deployed by the state government to enable quick decision making among security operative.
He stated the government had taken ownership of the infrastructure in addition to the pool of surveillance cameras, disclosing that the government fueled all 66 base-stations and maintained the stations and the 1,200 security cameras.
“Lagos State Government has built a video wall for live feeds for effective monitoring of the cameras. Lagos State Government is in the process of purchasing a Video Analytics Solution for effective surveillance of areas covered by the cameras,” he said.